1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a disposable towel and its method of manufacture, and more particularly to such a towel having particular utility as a surgical towel and comprising a unique five-ply structure including three thermoplastic, long fibered, nonwoven plies and two outermost tissue plies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While the nonwoven, disposable towels of the present invention may have many uses, they are particularly suited for use as surgical towels and will be described in terms of that application.
In preparation for surgery, the surgeon (as well as the scrub nurse and other members of the operating team) will exercise much care in scrubbing his hands and arms prior to entering the operating theatre. Then, after entering the operating theatre with his hands and arms still wet from the scrub, the surgeon must exercise as much care in the drying of his hands as in the scrubbing operation itself to prevent any contamination of his now clean, but obviously not sterile, hands. While procedures vary from hospital-to-hospital and from doctor-to-doctor, in general a towel is very carefully manipulated by a surgeon after scrubbing so as to dry his hands without introducing any contamination. Usually, one side of the towel is reserved for the drying of each hand and separate portions of the towel are used for each wiping action. This avoids contamination from hand-to-hand. In view of these procedures it is desirable that the towel being used demonstrates a minimum of moisture strike through.
While composite nonwoven surgical towels have been substituted for the more common woven surgical towels, they have not met with universal acceptance. This is true not so much because they fail to perform adequately from the standpoint of absorbency, drying ability and the like, but largely because they lacked the bulk, softness, drape, surface feel and cloth-likeness of the traditional woven surgical towel. Additionally, such composite nonwoven surgical towels generally demonstrated too much strike through. Where steps were taken to prevent such strike through, the remaining characteristics listed above were even more lacking.
The present invention is directed to a nonwoven disposable towel having high absorptive capacity and excellent drying ability with a minimum of strike through. Typically, a surgeon may have from about 15 to about 20 grams of water remaining on his hands and arms after the scrubbing operation. If he is a large man, he may have as much as 30 grams of water remaining. The towel of the present invention has an absorptive capacity of about 4 to about 7 grams of water per gram of towel and weighs about 30 grams. Therefore, the towel of the present invention has a capacity of at least about 4 to 7 times the maximum amount of water to be absorbed from the surgeon's hands and arms.
The towel of the present invention is substantially low in lint tendency, demonstrating excellent abrasion resistance, strength and sturdiness. At the same time, the towel is characterized by markedly improved appearance and surface feel. The towel is soft, cloth-like and is further characterized by desirable bulk, good conformability and drape. Drape, for example, is needed to prevent contamination of the towel. If the towel is too stiff it will have a tendency to rub against the surgeon's scrub suit. This is also true if the towel, to provide sufficient absorptive capacity, must be made too long, too wide or both. Finally, the towel of the present invention may be easily and inexpensively manufactured and readily sterilized.
While particularly adapted for use as surgical towels, the nonwoven, disposable towel structures of the present invention may have many applications. For example, they may be used as professional towels or as hand towels or bath towels for hospital patients and the like. They may serve as disposable towels for use in hotels and motels or for use in institutions such as nursing homes, metal institutions, prisons and the like.